


Thirteen Years Later

by Blizzard_Fire



Series: Brucemas 2020 [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Avengers Family, Awesome Betty Ross, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Ice Skating, Oral Sex, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:08:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27904990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzard_Fire/pseuds/Blizzard_Fire
Summary: Tony slung an arm over Bruce's shoulders. ‘Green bean here just got his first date in thirteen years.’‘Ah!’ Thor clapped his hands in delight. ‘Who is the fortunate one?’‘It’s Betty,’ Bruce said reluctantly.Natasha's eyebrows shot up. ‘Betty as intheBetty?’
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Betty Ross
Series: Brucemas 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020373
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23
Collections: Brucemas 2020





	Thirteen Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> Brucemas 2020 Day 6: Bruce/Betty, Date Night
> 
> Bretty is another ship I've never written before but I liked the idea of them getting to know each other again. They were apart for a long while...

‘She’s emailed me,’ Bruce said, walking into Tony’s workshop on Christmas Eve.

Tony glanced up, welding torch in hand. ‘Who? Pepper?’ The huge room had been decked out with festive (and flammable) decorations. There was even a tree in the corner, where Dum-E was hanging fifty ornaments on a single branch.

‘Betty. Betty has emailed me.’ Bruce walked over, wringing his hands. ‘About five minutes ago.’

‘Well, that’s… that’s good, isn’t it?’ Tony switched off the welding torch and removed his welding goggles.

He sighed. ‘She wants to meet up. Spend some time together. But the way she phrased it… Tony, it might be a date.’

‘And?’

‘And we haven’t been a couple since Hulk happened, thirteen years ago! I haven’t even spoken to her in five years! What am I supposed to say to her? “How have you been, sorry I haven’t kept in touch but I was busy being shot at by your dad and waking up naked in fields”?’

Tony frowned. ‘This really has gotten you wound up, hasn’t it?’

He took a deep breath to slow his increasing heartrate. ‘I can’t get my hopes up. Not again.’ Losing Betty had taken him years to come to terms with, and seeing her again would reopen old wounds.

‘But do you _want_ to see her?’ Tony asked, with a far-too-knowing look in his eyes.

‘Yes of course, but it’s so out of the blue and it’s been so long… Maybe I’ll just tell her I’m busy – ‘

‘Bruce.’ Tony rested a hand on his shoulder. Then brushed off the black handprint he’d just left. ‘You can’t avoid her forever. Go along, have a good time, see where it goes. We can manage without our physics nerd for one day. When does she want to meet up?’

Bruce groaned. ‘Today. In two hours’ time.’

‘Wow, impulse-date huh? A girl after my own heart. She’s the one that got away Bruce, go get her! Why are you still standing here? Go go go!’ And he hooked an arm around Bruce’s and marched him out of the room. ‘JARVIS, team meeting. Bruce's quarters, ASAP.’

Ten minutes later, the Avengers were assembled in Bruce's living room. Everyone wore something festive, but Bruce's eye was drawn to Clint’s sweater: across the chest was a cross-stitched imitation of low-cut cleavage, below which was printed, _Santa’s Favourite Ho_. ‘Hey, my eyes are up here,’ said Clint with a wink. ‘What’s this about? JARVIS made it sound pretty serious.’

Tony slung an arm over Bruce's shoulders. ‘Green bean here just got his first date in thirteen years.’

‘Ah!’ Thor clapped his hands in delight. ‘Who is the fortunate one?’

‘It’s Betty,’ Bruce said reluctantly.

Natasha's eyebrows shot up. ‘Betty as in _the_ Betty?’

Steve frowned. ‘Sorry, who’s Betty?’

Bruce sighed. ‘We were together for years. But since my little green problem showed up, we haven’t seen each other much.’ Just one kiss five years ago, and he’d left feeling intensely confused about their relationship. ‘I’m not sure why Tony decided to call a team meeting about it.’

Tony waved his arms. ‘Because it’s in _two hours!’_

Natasha shook her head. ‘You can’t go out like that. Not that sweater. Or that shirt. Or those pants.’

‘What’s wrong with the sweater?’ he asked, affronted.

‘Nothing at all. Except the colour. And the burnt sleeve.’

‘I spilled acid on it, but you can barely tell – ‘

‘You were right to call us in, Tony. This really is serious.’ Already, she was stalking over to his closet to examine the contents.

Bruce was starting to wish he’d just deleted the email and never told Tony anything. ‘You’re not helping my confidence here.’

‘Not to worry.’ Steve had a worrying twinkle in his eye. ‘I’ll give you a Captain America pep talk. Works every time.’

As Bruce hid his face in his hands, Clint cackled. ‘Hey JARVIS? Lock the doors. The slippery bastard’s not getting out of this one.’

An hour later, they finally let him go. Natasha and Tony had argued over clothes before settling on something sensible but “presentable”: a deep blue sweater that he rarely wore. Thor and Steve gave increasingly unhelpful relationship advice and Clint did some googling to bring him up to speed on what Betty had been up to lately (as if Bruce didn’t read every paper she wrote).

By the end of it he was almost relieved to be ushered out of the room… until they all got into the elevator with him. ‘You’re not coming with me.’

‘Oh, we know,’ said Tony.

Natasha smirked. ‘We’re just making sure you get there in one piece.’

‘You mean, you’re making sure I don’t back out?’

‘It _did_ cross our minds,’ Thor admitted.

‘Guys, don’t scare him off.’ Steve smiled at him kindly. ‘You look great, Bruce. You’re gonna be fine.’

Bruce glanced at his reflection in the elevator’s glass wall and concluded that he _did_ look a little less rumpled than usual. ‘A lot can change in thirteen years,’ he said quietly.

Tony shrugged. ‘Won’t know until you find out.’

The doors opened and they left him at the entrance. ‘Thanks,’ Bruce said.

Steve saluted him. ‘We’re your team, that’s what we’re here for.’

‘Go get em, Brucie!’ Tony called.

As he was stepping out, Clint swooped in and slipped something into his jacket pocket. ‘Thank me later.’

Bruce reached in and felt the jagged foil of a condom wrapper. He blushed. ‘Clint, it’s only a date.’

‘Hey, a lot can happen in one night.’ He winked. ‘Go on. And don’t think we won’t know if you try and wriggle out of it.’

He smiled. ‘I won’t.’

‘That’s the spirit.’

It was a cold and lonely walk to Central Park. Bruce's stomach churned with nerves and he mentally rehearsed eight different greetings by the time he got there… and then they all fell away as a woman in a puffy white coat hurried out of the trees towards him.

He didn’t have time to react before he was pulled into a hug. ‘Hi,’ Betty said shakily.

‘Hey.’ She was real, solid and real, and he’d missed her so much. Her long brown hair tickled his nose. She still used that raspberry shampoo.

It was an effort to let go and look at her, and then words failed him at the sight of her familiar smile. ‘I missed you,’ she said.

They stared at each other, and Bruce's momentary joy was replaced with fear. So much time had passed. People changed. She was a stranger to him now. ‘I missed you too.’

‘Sorry this was short notice, but I thought you’d have less time to freak out if I surprised you.’ They started walking through the park, passing between couples and families all dressed for the cold. Bruce had always been good at blending in, though after the Chitauri he’d expected to get recognised more.

‘Saw you on the news,’ Betty said. ‘You saved a lot of people that day.’

‘I don’t remember most of it,’ he said truthfully. ‘Were you here?’

‘No, I was at a science conference. But I watched it on the news.’ The path was frosty here, and without thinking Bruce linked his arm through hers so she wouldn’t slip. ‘An army of robot aliens…’

‘I know, it’s like I attract weirdness.’

Betty smiled at him. ‘I was hoping for a text or an email since you returned to civilisation.’

He looked away guiltily. ‘I never kept in touch because I thought it would keep you safe.’

‘Hey, I don’t need protec-‘

‘You have your own life. Don’t waste that waiting around for me.’

Betty sighed and didn’t speak for some time. Frozen leaves crunched under their feet, and Bruce marvelled at how different his life was compared to last year. This would be the first time he wasn’t spending Christmas alone since… well. Since a long time. ‘I haven’t been waiting around for you,’ she said as they turned a corner on the path. ‘I’ve been busy, doing work and research and living my life. Same as you.’

He laughed sadly. ‘I’m not sure I’ve been doing a lot of living.’ Moving in at Stark Tower had been something of a culture shock; he’d had to adjust to a routine, a room of his own, _people._ Facebook and Twitter hadn’t existed when he first went into hiding. So many discoveries and breakthroughs had happened in his scientific field and he hadn’t kept abreast of any of it. Steve sometimes confessed that he felt out of place; Bruce had been living in 2003 for the last thirteen years of his life. He’d missed out on so much that he worried he’d never catch up.

Betty’s arm tightened in his. ‘Hey, you okay?’ she said softly. ‘I know it’s been a while. Just so you know, I’m not here with any kind of expectations.’ They stopped beside a bench and sat down. ‘After everything that’s happened… I thought you might want something – someone – familiar.’ She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘When you didn’t get in touch, I wondered if you’d moved on. Thought at the very least we deserved some closure.’

Closure was good. But Bruce wasn’t sure he wanted closure. The email had mentioned “drinks” and was signed with a kiss. He wasn’t sure what was on the table here. ‘Familiar is good,’ he said eventually.

It was surreal to see her in person again. Betty looked a little older than he remembered her, but the smile she gave him was the same.

He wanted her so badly it hurt.

‘I can hear you thinking,’ she teased.

‘What about Samson?’ he blurted before he could stop himself. ‘The – the psychiatrist. Seemed like you two were pretty serious.’

She blinked, surprised, then her smile turned knowing. ‘He was a good guy. But… I don’t know. When we argued, I could tell he was analysing me. Kept bringing up my dad, and you, and “childhood issues”. Started to feel like I was his project. It didn’t work out.’ She leaned in slightly. ‘Does that answer your question?’

Now Bruce wished he’d taken Tony up on the “hidden earpiece” offer. What was he supposed to do here? “Play it safe” was second nature by now. He didn’t take risks, didn’t open himself up for potential disappointment. He’d made peace with the fact that he’d never get Betty back. Yet here she was, offering… contact, at the very least.

He took a deep breath. ‘Betty, it’s good to see you but you should know that I’m not the same person you knew in 2003.’

‘Ah, you’re an imposter. I knew it.’

‘I’ve been running for so long that I don’t know what normal life is anymore. This…’ He waved a hand between them. ‘I don’t think I know how to do this anymore.’ Hulk had given him better reflexes, a faster metabolism and a fucked-up sleep cycle. Bruce wasn’t sure he was even fully human anymore.

For a long moment Betty just watched him, head cocked to one side. Then she nodded. ‘Okay. I understand. Like I said, if you don’t want to see me again then we can make this a clean break.’ The sentence hung between them as a cloud in the chilly air. Bruce said nothing. Betty leaned back a little. ‘Or we can… keep talking. I’m not hearing a “no” here.’

‘No, you’re not,’ he agreed, and winced. ‘That one doesn’t count.’

She laughed. They sat there for a little while, watching passers-by until the cold bench started to warm a little beneath them. Bruce wrestled with his conscience and his common sense, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He was tired of walking away. But he also knew that any kind of relationship would take work, a _lot_ of work.

Just as he’d mustered the courage to reach for Betty’s hand, she stood up. ‘Hey, let’s get hot chocolate.’

Bruce stared back at her. ‘Hot chocolate?’

‘Yeah, it’s a hot beverage that people drink at Christmas. Even superheroes.’ With a grin, she offered a hand. ‘Come on, before that butt gets frozen to the bench.’

It was so easy then, for Bruce to take her cold hand and let himself be pulled towards the square. He insisted on paying, and they wandered around sipping their peppermint hot chocolates. It was a little awkward at first, but then Betty mentioned a paper she’d written that Bruce had read, and soon they were chatting as though they’d never been apart. Betty told him about her work, and how she was thinking of getting a dog, and her recent trip across the globe delivering science talks. This turned into them comparing travel stories. Whilst Bruce had spent a lot of time running from the military, he had some good memories too. When his Spanish was less polished, a man had once asked for his age, and Bruce had politely informed him that he had 36 anuses. Betty laughed so much that she nearly spilled her drink.

When they came across the ice-skating rink, he saw Betty’s eyes light up and laughed. ‘Oh no. I know that look.’

‘When’s the last time we went skating?’

‘2001. November twenty-sixth.’ He’d fallen on the ice and broken his wrist, in front of several dozen amused onlookers. After receiving medical attention which utterly killed the festive mood, Betty had taken him home and spent the evening taking his mind off it. The memory alone was enough to make him blush.

‘Oh yeah, I remember.’ She gazed longingly at the skaters wobbling along the rink.

Bruce braced himself. ‘Do you want to try again? Maybe with fewer broken bones this time.’

Any doubts he had evaporated as she turned to him, as excited as a kid promised candy. ‘Really? You wanna try?’

‘For all you know, I’ve become an expert since last time.’

‘Is that a challenge?’ Her grin widened. ‘Okay mister, you’re on.’

Ten minutes later, Bruce was seriously questioning his decision as he clung to the fence and struggled to keep his feet beneath him. Kids as young as six whizzed past him, a few pausing to laugh at his efforts.

Betty moved like a dancer. In the lab, she’d always hurried around with files and equipment and paperwork. But on the ice, she could glide effortlessly. She shot him a wink as she skated over to him on one foot, stopping herself at the last moment. ‘How you holding up, champ?’

‘It’s already going better than last time,’ he said through gritted teeth.

She laughed. ‘Okay, come here, Mister Skidbutt.’

‘It’s _Doctor_ Skidbutt, actually.’ He pouted, but let her slip an arm around his waist and lead him around the rink. For a while he concentrated only on the ice beneath their feet, but as he got the hang of it he was able to relax a little and enjoy the sensation of gliding. It was like being back in college again, when the scariest thing in his life was deadlines. Their world had been so much smaller back then.

‘You haven’t changed that much, you know,’ Betty said as she brought them around the curve. ‘With or without your big green friend, you’re still a dork.’

Bruce looked at her in mock-indignation. ‘Is that a compliment?’

Her face was so close to his, and they were practically in each others’ arms. ‘Just stating a scientific fact, Doctor Banner.’

‘I have yet to see any conclusive evidence, Doctor Ross.’ He was close enough to smell the peppermint on her breath, to see the streaks of gold in her turquoise eyes…

Neither of them saw the fence until it was too late. Bruce skidded in panic and fell backwards, pulling Betty down with him. The cold, unyielding ice slammed into his back and knocked the breath out of him – then Betty landed on top of him before he could take another breath.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she gasped.

But Bruce just laughed as he stared up at the winter sky. ‘We still did better than last time.’

Betty laughed too, her hands sliding on the ice as she tried to clamber off him. Everything was too slippery and in the end she gave up and rested her head on his chest. ‘I need to give you lessons.’

And Bruce was so giddy from the whole experience that he heard himself say, ‘I’m free next week if you are.’

When she raised her head, her smile was answer enough.

Once they’d managed to stand up, Betty guided them to the exit and they changed their shoes in silence. Bruce's heart was beating hard, but not fast. He knew what he wanted, and maybe it was time to stop being afraid.

‘Well, this was fun.’ Betty’s hair was ruffled, and she rubbed her ice-damp hands together to warm them up. ‘Were you serious? About doing this again sometime?’

‘Give my bruises some time to think it over. But yes. I’d… I’d like there to be a next time. If you want there to be.’

Her smile turned sincere. ‘I would. God, I missed you Bruce. There’s no one like you, you know that? And don’t turn that into a Hulk joke, I mean it.’

Without thinking, Bruce took her cold hands in his. ‘I know it’s been a long time, and a lot of things are different...’ He sighed. ‘Actually, I’m tired of over-thinking this. Maybe it doesn’t have to be that complicated.’ Yes, they’d both changed. People tended to do that after thirteen years apart. But she was still the Betty he knew and loved.

When he kissed her, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go again. It felt like their first time. It felt like coming home.

When they finally pulled apart, they just gazed at each other. Bruce stroked her cold cheek with his thumb and watched her eyes grow misty. Thirteen years was such a long time. After travelling halfway around the world and seeing things he thought weren’t possible, he was back in New York, back with Betty, and he never wanted to leave her again. For a while they sat there, just holding each other, wordlessly thankful to have a second chance.

They walked around the city hand-in-hand, and it felt like they’d never been apart. The sky darkened as they talked, catching up on all the little moments they’d missed, until it was nearly 10pm and Bruce wasn’t sure he could bear to say goodbye.

‘Merry almost-Christmas,’ said Betty with a gentle nudge to his bruised ribs. ‘I guess I should be getting back.’

Bruce's heart sank. ‘Yeah. Are you spending it with your dad, or…?’

‘God, no. He’s not my dad anymore. I’m just going to spend it watching shitty Christmas movies until I pass out.’

‘Oh. Well, that sounds more fun than spending it with Ross – ‘

‘Unless you want to watch some with me?’ Betty said quickly, then blushed.

Bruce raised an eyebrow.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean that in a creepy way. You could sleep on the couch if you want… or I could just come visit you tomorrow. But the offer’s there.’

‘I have missed out on a lot of shitty Christmas movies,’ Bruce mused.

‘Oh, we can soon fix that…’

‘This is the most clichéd movie I’ve ever watched,’ said Bruce, as the two protagonists collided and “conveniently” fell on top of each other.

‘Told you,’ said Betty, her head on his shoulder.

‘And it’s unrealistic. It really hurts to have someone fall on you.’ He rubbed his side, where he could feel the day’s bruises starting to form.

‘Not to mention she’s a clutz, and yet she’s a _heart surgeon_.’

‘Oh no… she’s going to end up operating on him, isn’t she? And learn to lose her cynical outlook around Christmas?'

‘Oh, you called it. Bet you're right.’

He smiled as she snuggled up against him. After all the craziness this year, it was nice to have a normal Christmas for once. He kissed the top of her head, and when she looked up he kissed her gently on the mouth. ‘You were really going to spend Christmas on your own?’

She shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time. But this is nice.’

As the movie trudged on they kept exchanging kisses until they were making out on the couch, the movie forgotten. When Betty lay down, she pulled him down with her.

Bruce worried that it had been too long, that he’d forgotten how to do this sort of thing, but when he kissed her neck and she shivered he forgot his fears. ‘Are we going too fast?’ he murmured, pulling back to look at her.

Betty brushed her thumb over his lips. ‘Like you said. Doesn’t have to be complicated. I’m happy if you are. Very happy,’ she added, as he cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her blouse.

‘Are you sure? Wouldn’t want you to miss the movie,’ he deadpanned, then laughed at her unamused expression. ‘I’m happy too.’

Betty got her revenge by lightly pinching his ass – then apologising as he hissed in pain. ‘Sorry. Forgot about the bruises.’

Right now, Bruce was more interested in unbuttoning her blouse and kissing each inch of exposed skin as he uncovered it. Once, he’d known her body as well as his own. Now, there was a new cluster of freckles under her collarbone, a scar he didn’t remember on her hip. Yet she still responded the same way to his loving touches, whispering encouragements as he dipped his thumb under her bra to play with the nipple. The left one had always been more sensitive.

By the time he reached the zipper of her jeans, she was breathing hard. ‘Still okay?’ he whispered.

Instead of replying, she unfastened them herself and kicked them off, flinging them across the living room. She sighed as he stroked her, noting how wet she was already. It was time to see if she really had changed.

‘Shit, Bruce,’ she sighed as he pushed her thighs apart and bent down to taste her. When he sucked gently on her clit, her hips rose to meet him. Every soft sound that she uttered turned his blood to fire, but he ignored his own growing need and proceeded to take his time. One hand steadied her whilst the other roamed up her body. He drew letters with his tongue like he always did: the periodic table, by atomic number. She was finished before he got to vanadium.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, gasping as the shudders coursed through her. Then she finally stilled, skin flushed, her blouse tangled beneath her, a sleepy smile on her face.

‘Someone looks like they had fun,’ he teased, pressing a final soft kiss to the crease of her thigh.

Betty was already sitting up, grabbing a hair band from the coffee table. ‘Alright, my turn.’ At Bruce's surprised look, she quirked an eyebrow. ‘What?’

‘You don’t have to.’

Her face fell. ‘ _Can_ you?’

‘I – ‘ He swallowed. ‘Yes, yes I can. I did some experimenting. But it has to be slow. I can’t get… carried away.’

A mischievous smile grew on her face. ‘I can work with slow. Come here.’ She kissed him softly, then pulled him down beside her. Bruce wasn’t so good with not being in control, but he held onto her as she slowly worked him up with her hands, pausing every time he told her to. He missed being able to do this without thinking, the way they used to, but somehow this felt more intimate than anything they’d done back in college.

‘I’m close,’ he warned, his voice shaking.

‘I’ve got you.’ She kissed his forehead, then shifted down the couch to brush a feather-light kiss along his length.

‘Wait.’ Bruce grabbed her shoulder.

She blinked up in surprise. ‘Too much?’

‘Far from it.’ There was no disguising the shortness of his breath, the tremble in his thighs. ‘I just need…’ He leaned over and snatched his jacket off the floor.

Betty grinned as she watched him rip open the condom. ‘Someone was planning ahead.’

He shrugged helplessly. ‘I wasn’t going to presume. Just wanted to be prepared.’ Thank you, Clint.

‘I’m not complaining.’ She took it from him. ‘I thought you said you hadn’t been with anyone? I mean, it’s fine if you have, but – ‘

‘Betty.’ With some difficulty, Bruce sat up and cradled her face in his hands. ‘There was never anyone else. No one could replace you.’ And being back here together, like this, had made all those years just fall away like they never happened. Betty was home to him. Always had been.

‘Likewise,’ she said with a watery smile.

‘I just want to be cautious. My blood is radioactive, and I haven’t got a clue what happens if any – any other bodily fluids end up somewhere they aren’t supposed to be.’

‘If you want to run some tests I’ll help you take samples,’ she purred, pushing him down again and carefully rolling on the condom. ‘Not every day you break a thirteen-year streak, is it?’

He laughed. ‘This is easily the best Christmas I’ve had in – oh god…’ The slow, hot suction combined with the sight of Betty with her mouth full nearly finished him off right then, but he forced himself to take deep breaths until his thundering heart calmed a little.

He’d forgotten that Betty also knew what he liked. The moment her hand drifted down to lightly squeeze his balls he knew it was over. He groaned out a wordless warning and then he came to pieces, fighting for breath as waves of pleasure rolled through him.

‘You’re okay, you’re okay.’ Betty held his hand as he shivered through it, unused to the intensity of it. Even now he knew it was safe, he rarely touched himself out of habit.

By the time they curled up together, spooning in the afterglow, the movie was almost finished. ‘I told you she’d have to operate on him,’ Bruce yawned, ‘and learn the true meaning of Christmas or whatever.’

‘Mmm.’ Betty sounded as though she was almost asleep. ‘Told you it was shitty.’

They dozed for a little while, sharing each other’s warmth as they watched the credits roll. Then Betty stood up. ‘I’m going to take a shower.’

‘Okay.’ Bruce sat up and stretched, watching her go with some regret. He retrieved his phone from his discarded jacket and messaged the Avengers group chat.

_Mission successful. Don’t wait up. Happy Christmas._

Tony’s reply was immediate: _We’ll debrief you in the morning – if you haven’t been already ;)_

The others voiced their happiness for him. Bruce muted his phone as Clint spammed the chat with emojis.

‘Hey, what are you doing?’ Betty stood in the doorway, hair dripping. ‘When I said I was taking a shower, I thought the “join me” was obvious.’

With a grin, Bruce got up to follow her. As they embraced under the steaming water, it felt so familiar that he almost forgot he’d been away. ‘Merry Christmas, Betty,’ he murmured.

She drew back to look into his eyes, a hot hand stroking his cheek. ‘Merry Christmas.’

They’d both changed, but maybe that was okay. Maybe they could still have this despite how much the world had changed around them.

‘So,’ said Betty, ‘when to I get to meet your friends?’

From how much Bruce had told them about her, the Avengers had practically met her already. Betty and Tony would get along great, and she’d _adore_ the lab Bruce now worked in.

‘How about tonight?’ he said, and watched her blink in surprise. ‘In about two hours? I’d send you an email, but since we’re already here…’

‘Ass,’ she laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. Then she paused. ‘You’re staying over though, aren’t you?’

‘Of course.’ He held her close, breathing in the fragrant steam of a home he’d thought long-gone. Tonight there would be no world threats, no code green, no mission. He could just be Bruce, travel-weary and grateful to have found what he’d unconsciously been looking for all along. ‘I’ll stay.’

Betty’s answering smile was the best Christmas gift he’d ever gotten.


End file.
